Unexpected Miracles
by FinalFate
Summary: After Sasuke’s betrayal of former Team Hebi, Suigetsu has his own agenda which he can’t get going without Karin’s help. With ghosts from the past coming back to haunt her, can Suigetsu help her from the demons which seem to be consuming her mind? R
1. Beginnings, Endings, and Leavings

Unexpected Miracles

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto or any of its characters. However, the plot of the story is mine.

**A/N: **I've been in the mood to write, and after getting Sony Vegas 8 and finally founding a song to make my first AMV, I decided to write this to get me in the mood to make a Suika Beta, and possibly a full video. I hope to finish a few stories, while putting others on hold so I can slowly finish. I start school very soon, so I will most likely alternate between this story, and a SasuSaku story.

**SUMMARY: ** After Sasuke's betrayal of former Team Hebi, Suigetsu has his own agenda which he can't get going without Karin's help. With ghosts from the past coming back to haunt her, can Suigetsu help her from the demons which seem to be consuming her mind?

-

The humidity slowly, even though the sun had set hours before, hung in the air as if suspended from the heavens on an infinite clothes line. It was hot for this time of year, but the humidity made it unbearable, even a light blanket would make you sweat. Sleep was near impossible to say the least. You could have been up for days, worked out, gone for a run and taken a shower with incense to make you sleep, but facts were facts.

It was never going to happen.

Hearing the sound of crickets and frogs just outside the window was almost maddening. Harmoniously creating a choir with a flowing stream was almost maddening knowing it was only adding to the heat and aggravation that surrounded it.

An audible growl escaped the clenched teeth of the man whose body felt as if it was liquefying around him. Turning over onto his stomach, then to his back not even a minute later, he could feel sweat sliding down his cheek to his neck, then sliding down his bare chest.

This heat was going to be the death of him, and he hated thinking it. After drinking four times his weight in water within the last two hours, he was starting to assume that he'd be reduced to a puddle, and be absorbed into the mattress until more favorable weather returned. The thought was rather disgusting considering how many other people had slept on this mattress or perhaps the fact who knew what other fluids might be in it.

Rolling over, he fell off the bed with a thud and laid on the carpeted floor, which wasn't much better considering how much he was sweating and how much of his own body he was losing in the process. Under most circumstances, his body was resistant to heat, and as long as he drank enough water, this wouldn't happen to him.

The humidity.

That's what was killing him. The water in the air which was all around him made his body go through a sort of osmosis, the water inside him going to the lowest concentration in the air. This, not only made it hotter in the room, but did well to exhaust and drain him of the fluid his body desperately needed.

The best thing he could do was find a room with air conditioning, which he doubted would happen, but staying here wasn't going to do him any good. Maybe a bath with cold water he could absorb. Anything that would make his body solid again. Groaning at the effort it took to sit up and stand, his hand rested on the bed, so he could stabilize himself, then trudged out of the room.

He found himself hating more and more the man who, just like the one who imprisoned him, took what he wanted and left. Not that he was surprised. The Uchiha never did seem like the type to help others or do anything for them unless it was in his benefit, but the way in which he'd ditched his newest 'team' for the old one was like a mother abandoning her new born.

Almost helpless and defenseless, once he had what he wanted, namable, his brother dead and avenged, he was rewarded by his village for killing the traitor that attempted to assassinate the fifth Hokage.

Fucking congratulations Uchiha Sasuke, don't remember those which helped you get there and what they lost doing it. As much as he hated to admit such a thing, Suigetsu was jealous. The rich brat had literally gotten everything he wanted, almost killing the team he'd hand chosen in the process.

True, Suigetsu wasn't injured, but his precious blade had been taken and he wanted it back. And he wanted it now. Unfortunately, the only person who could find the person who had stolen it not only hated him, but was still raging about Sasuke's disappearance to his village.

Ugh this heat… the blue haired man thought as he opened the door and walked out of it. His eyes were half closed, exhausted, an arm on the wall for support. His legs felt like they were melting, and because his entire body had the ability to liquefy, he could feel his bones literally turning to mush inside his body.

If he didn't find a way to fix this, he was going to collapse and not be able to put himself back together. Hearing a sound, he turned his head, trying to locate it. That's it!

That sound was music to his ears and would fix everything - an air conditioner. Moving to the room, he knew that someone was in it, but allowing his body to completely liquefy; it dropped to the ground in a large puddle and slid under the door. Condensing his form in the room which was almost 30 degrees or more cooler than the hallway, his body started to reform on the floor.

It was late, and he could be gone before whoever was in the room woke up. Not to mention, he could just turn into a puddle once more. Moving to the window under the cooling unit, he started to feel much better, the sweat gone from his body. He was thirsty, but he figured that could wait until he could walk without leaving traces of himself behind.

The hard part was now convincing Karin to help him. He had no reason to, nor any real leverage that would help her. Most of her injuries had healed from the battle of Akatsuki's mutiny against them, save a few bruises; there were no major issues with her body.

He needed that sword, and all the others which he wanted, but without a means to find or track them down, a snarl appeared on his face, bearing his shark-like fangs. It annoyed him. There had to be something he could do to convince Karin to help him with this.

Normally, he'd never ask for help, but since Zabuza's sword was taken, if he got that one back, he'd be set to find the others on his own. _Just this one_. He thought to himself. His eyes were closed; darkness was the only thing that he could see even if they were open, at least for the most part.

Karin was stubborn, and he had to hate her as much as she hated him, but getting her to do this was the best thing he could do for himself. It was in his better interest to get her help. But getting her to agree was the hardest of the matter.

Maybe he could threaten her or something? Surely there had to be something she wanted, right? Only to himself would he admit how much that look on her face hurt him. Karin had never been a fighter; she was a tracker, and someone who was smart enough to normally not need to do any sort of battle.

After Zetsu's actions giving them away, she'd been forced to do so, and against the personal escorts of the Kage's, she didn't stand a chance. She'd done her best to hide and not battle, but Suigetsu knew no matter how stubborn she was, and how good she was at talking she'd get hurt.

Needless to say, she did. Badly.

He'd never seen that much blood soak through her cloths, and the way Sasuke dumped the three of them? It was something he'd never experienced. It was just the way he had given them up for his old team, his other friends that he dumped years before.

People's lives were a joke to the Uchiha, and that made Suigetsu's blood boil inside of him. Not because of the fact he was about to let Karin die from wounds that had been inflicted from him, and for leaving bipolar Juugo alone after he promised to watch him and stop him from killing, or even letting Suigetsu's weapon get stolen, it was the fact that he didn't care.

How he didn't seem to care what they'd gone through for him and how easy he could just dump them. He'd never been that angry before, even when he'd been experimented on, or when Orochimaru sealed him because he saw him as a threat.

He felt his throat vibrate as he growled again. Why was he this angry at someone so worthless? He'd never admit it now, but he'd actually grown to like Sasuke. Well, two could play at that game.

Fuck you too, Uchiha.

Hearing the body on the bed move, purple hues suddenly opened wide, and he sat up, looking at the figure. He wasn't sure how he knew this, but it was a woman. Maybe it was the sound she made when she rolled over.

Getting up slowly, he moved to get some water. Leaving his room would make him melt…

He didn't want to leave, and the only reason he was still here, other than the heat was because they had these rooms for another day or two. They'd been paid for, and considering he had nowhere else to do, why waste the money that had been put down to booked them in advance? Maybe it'd cool down in the next two days. Even rain would be better than this heat.

After drinking nine of fourteen glasses of water because, who was really counting; he moved closer to the bed. He wasn't the type that'd take advantage of a situation like this. He was in the sort of mood were he'd kill her for the room and to smite Sasuke for being such a wimp about killing others, but he knew that killing this woman wouldn't fix his problems.

The blanket was wrapped around her body and limbs, only revealing a thin frame, and a dark crimson hair that spread out across the white sheets at an oddly cut and uneven…

Leaning closer, he sat on the bed without realizing it, leaning over the sleeping body before a fist made contact with his face. Surprised, he felt his face splash and then turn back into a solid mass slowly. Unfortunately, when his happen, he lost the ability to see.

When his eyes opened, he expected to see a horrified woman, off the bed holding a lamp or something to strike him with, but instead, he saw a cross and angry looking Karin, sitting up, glaring at him. The white sheets, which he now knew where silk weren't twisted around her body, but held up covering it.

"What're you doing?" Hearing her voice, he grinned, his sharp teeth visible in the small amount of moonlight that crept in through the blinds.

"Cooling off." He answered suavely, knowing that like everything else about him, it would make her mad.

Prepared this time, he saw her swing at him, and caught her arm. It wasn't harshly and it wouldn't hurt her, but he stopped the would-be attack, something he'd never done when they argued. Sighing, he let her go when she pulled.

He watched her silently. It was in her eyes. She was hurt and angry after what happened with Sasuke. Not knowing what happened between them was one thing, but knowing how much she liked him, and what she'd done for him, not to mention what she'd gone through. It almost made him pity her.

Almost.

Suigetsu didn't like Karin, but he knew he could put up with her enough to get what he wanted, his precious blade. He did like fighting and arguing with her however. It was like a hobby he'd picked up since their travels. Having her standing in front of him, her hand on her hip, hips cocked to the side, leaning forward, the sun behind her, shading him, screaming. It was in its own sense slightly hot.

He didn't like her, but fighting with her was one of the more entertaining things he'd done since getting out of that forsaken container. He felt good around her, and that was saying something.

Turning to face her, she hadn't said anything in a while, which for her, was rare, and slightly worrying. Blinking, his eyes met her face, staring at her pale skin in the light of the moon. It was something he'd never felt before, and he wasn't sure what the emotion was. Regret? Pain? Remorse? Pity?

Ugh!

He hated this feeling, he moved away from her, which made her look up. Feeling her move, he saw her legs come up to her chest, and her arms wrapped around them. This was… an emotion he'd never seen in her before?

She was screaming, seducing Sasuke, or was completely calm. He'd never seen her… in pain like this? It scared him.

"Karin…?" he muttered, seeing her look up at him. He then realized that she wasn't wearing glasses.

"What do you want?" An angry and violent tone returned to her voice.

Well, she wasn't broken… Suigetsu thought, comparing her in his mind to something like a tree branch or weapon. He was a shinobi not a sensitive man who knew and understood a woman's emotions and feelings. He'd been locked away for years, he understood lust, and in his mind, what else was there really?

Love was in fairy tales and didn't exist unless a man wanted to lie to a woman to make her have sex and raise his children. That was just reality, not the prince charming stories they told in stories. It seemed that Karin was finding out now that those stories were about as valuable as the paper they were printed on them. In other words - worthless.

Sasuke running away must have felt like much more than a betrayal to her, and without knowing if anything actually went on between them, Suigetsu suddenly felt unsure of how to respond or comfort her. He didn't want to, nor did he really know how. The fish-like male had never seen Karin was a woman, or even as a human being before, but seeing her like this, it made him rethink it.

"Nothing…" he muttered, not sure how else to answer her question. "Are you—"

Her eyes rose and met his, and he could have sworn he saw fire in them that illuminated her face. "I'm fine!" Her voice was loud, and she had screamed it, which made him wonder if she'd woken anyone.

Shifting off the bed, he backed away, hands held up in front of him.

He'd come to the room without a shirt, so needless to say, he wasn't wearing one now. He'd been smart enough to put pants on before leaving, but it was too hot for his shirt, even if it was a thin material. He could feel the air conditioner on his back, oh, it felt so good, he smirked.

Something flew by his body and shattered against the wall. "What's with the cocky fucking smile?!" her voice was once again loud and almost screaming.

Suigetsu held up his hands again. "Nothing, it's just nice in here. It's boiling in the hallway and in my room. I was… liquefying." he muttered. She'd studied his body before under Orochimaru's orders, he assumed she'd understand that much.

Looking at the floor, it looked like she'd thrown an ashtray or vase at him, because small pieces of glass littered the floor.

"Liar." She accused.

Feeling his blood rushing from arguing with her, he moved over to the bed, jumped onto it, grabbed her by the wrist, dragging her out of it, and opened the door, pulling her into the hallway. With the door open, the air poured onto them, but the harsh and unbearable heat of the hallway could be felt.

The hall had lights on as if it was any other time of day, and he blinked, finally able to see her features.

She wasn't really dressed…

Her glasses were off, and she had a long tank top on, which was low, showing the top of her breasts and how they curved together. Her hair was down and messier than usual if that was even possible, around her face, and hung on her chest and down her back.

And… she wasn't wearing pants, or her shorts, just panties – black with red lace. It matched her hair.

Apparently, his eyes had wandered her body, because he felt her fist against his skin again, this time however, his body didn't liquefy in time, and he felt the injury, his face slightly puddle where she'd struck him. His hand touched his cheek as he felt it drip.

Blinking rapidly, he looked at her face, which was still lower than him. "What?" he asked, glaring at her. Without her boots, which added a few inches to her height, the top of her head reached around his nose.

"Don't look at me like that." She pulled her arm away from his hand and turned around, walking back in the room. The fact she didn't slam the door in his face made him follow, closing it. He sighed, walking into the bathroom. All the water he'd drunk was still in his body apparently, not that it wanted to stay there.

He stopped, the door open. "Why does… it smell like… burning in here?" he asked, turning his head.

Karin scoffed. "This room was Sasuke. I burned everything he touched, that included the sheets."

Nodding, Suigetsu closed the door and didn't move for a moment, hearing her move and then fall onto the bed. She moved a bit before stopping, like she got comfortable and was about to go back to sleep.

Looking out the room after he'd answered nature's call, he found that inside the shower were pieces of ash that had been set a fire, and then washed down the drain as much as possible. She must have been really angry to do this, but he couldn't exactly say he was surprised, after all, he betrayed her too.

Walking out of the room he stared at the bed. It looked so comfortable. It was at least a queen sized bed, and wasn't surprised that Sasuke had slept in it. Silk sheets, huge bed, lots of pillows, it always seemed fit for a king, which Sasuke seemed to think he was, the fuck-off.

Sighing, he jumped when he heard Karin's voice. The movements of her body only made him assume she was asleep. Her breathing had been so even.

"If you don't touch me..." She muttered, turning her head, to look at him out of the corner of her eyes. "I'll let you sleep in the bed."

Smiling, Suigetsu's teeth showed in the moonlight, and he moved closer to the bed, slid into it, and closed his eyes, his back facing hers and he slowly began to drift off.

- - -

Hearing the sound of water, he hoped it was rain and sat up, looking around. The room was bright, sun shining on the bed. Growling, he turned to see Karin, but the other side of the bed was empty. Looking around, the bathroom door was half closed, and steam was coming out of it.

She was taking a shower.

Rolling over, he pulled the sheet over his head. These were so comfortable. He wanted these sheets. He closed his eyes and started to drift back to sleep. The door swung open and he rolled over, looking over at her. The marks all over her body were gone.

A towel was tight around her chest, clinging to her, ending around her mid thigh, covering up any worthwhile part of her body - if she had a worthwhile part… He smirked and then laid down, closing his eyes. He wanted to go back to sleep, at least for the time being.

He heard her move around and returned to the bathroom. He heard the door close and lock. He laughed. She didn't trust him, not that he could really blamed her for that. Hearing the door open, he felt her move back into the bed.

Opening his eyes, she was wearing the same style shirt, but this one was fishnet, and had a bra on, something she didn't have the night before. It was black, but this had a design on it, and he could only assume the panties matched it. Now she was wearing shorts. It humored him, thinking about her under garments, but stopped soon after.

Sitting up, and turning over, he saw his water bottles, and saw the condensation on the outside of the bottle. Grabbing one, he could tell by the weight they were full. He took a sip. It was ice cold, clean fresh water. It made him smile.

"Thanks." He muttered after he drank half of the first bottle.

She shrugged and closed her eyes. "Welcome."

Sitting up and turning around to face her, he seemed confused. He'd never seen her like this. She didn't even seem to want to fight with him; he'd never thought that would happen. Was she sick? He heard her breathing even out and he leaned over, it seemed like she'd fallen asleep.

He got up, ordered room service, and then waited for it to show up. He'd gotten enough water for a while, at least for him. He's traveled enough with Karin to know what she'd eat, and he got what he wanted.

It'd arrived about a half an hour later and he was half way through with his meal before she sat up. Rubbing her eyes, she looked at him and arched a brow.

"I got you something, you hungry?" He asked, pointing to one of the plates.

She shook her head and closed her eyes, lying down. "Eat." He muttered annoyed. He was trying to be nice, even if it was for his own agenda.

"Don't be all anorexic and starve yourself." He said, bitterly, taking a sip of the water he'd gotten.

This time, she threw a pillow at him, and didn't even look up. Another pillow was slammed over her head, covering her head, and then the blanket moved over that, covering her entire body. He saw her hand tightly told both to her face. Did… he say the wrong thing?

Getting up, he moved over to the bed and she lashed out, kicking in his direction. "Hey!" He yelled, grabbing her leg, pulling her forward. "What the fuck if your problem?"

He saw her face and the hateful look on it, and the marks on her face. His blood suddenly felt like it stopped in his veins. That look… scared him. His eyes widened and he shook his head slowly.

"N-No… Karin…" he muttered, staring at her intently, a hard feeling in his chest. "Don't… don't do that…" He muttered, begging her not to cry. "I didn't mean to say that…"

He had to have sounded like an idiot, but he'd never seen her cry before. She'd always been so annoying, headstrong, angry, and tough. Seeing her like this, in pain, did something to him that made him want to just get away from her and let her be alone at this moment in time.

Letting go of the smooth skin of her leg, he backed up and left the room. The heat instantly consumed his body and he walked off as fast as he could, needed to get away from the room. Leaving the hotel, he just figured he'd wander around until he got tired and then he'd come back.

It was clear she wanted to be alone, and being around her would endanger him and just make her mad.

As he left the hotel and started to walk through the village, he put his hand in his pockets, sighing, his eyes were closing, one of his teeth sticking out from his lips even though they were closed. His mind was racing, and even though he knew why she was so upset, he couldn't help thinking about it.

Everything about her attacks where weak, nothing compared to her real strength. The look in her eyes, the tear stains on her face. Had she been crying before that? Her eyes were already red, and he wasn't paying attention to her because he was tired. Then he was eating. Was she really crying?

Shaking his head, he groaned. He felt bad, and he didn't normally. If he was angry and felt betrayed by Sasuke, he knew Karin had to feel the same way. She acted so in love with him it was sickening and annoying. All the trying to be alone with the black haired male, the physical contact, flirting, and mood swings, it annoyed him.

And now?

She was alone and angry. Karin risked her life to save him, healing him with an ability no one else possessed, tracked down her brother then Akatsuki, acted as a lie detector, shopped, cooked, and was analytical and used her skills, giving everything to Sasuke that he asked for and needed. He was pissed now more than ever.

Continuing down the road, he put his hands behind his head, he sighed, walking off with a small yawn. The sun was beating down on his body, but he didn't feel too crappy. It wasn't as hot as the night before, and it was starting to cloud over, as if reflecting Karin's unstable emotions.

Then suddenly, he realized, this was the best thing that could have happened! If she was depressed and he made her feel better and pretended to care about her well being, she'd be happy and feel inclined to help him find his blade. Then he could go find the others and they could go their separate ways. Oh, it was the best plan, and he knew that it'd work.

Woman loved when men worshipped and comforted them, and even though it would be hard for him, all he had to do was study a few couples throughout the day, copy a few mannerisms, concerned faces, maybe a few sappy lines. It was a flawless idea, so he changed direction, heading to a place where he guessed couples would hang out and go out on dates.

This would be the best thing for him and Karin. He would get his blade, she'd get over Sasuke, feel better, and could continue to go on and do her own thing. They'd all be better off. He just needed to make her feel special, like a star or something, right? He'd figure it out. All he needed was to watch a few couples interact and he could fill in the blanks and make things up from there.

Being in that tube for years at a time sucked, but he knew he could readjust to being around people. He'd gotten used to being around… the thought trailed off and he glared ahead of him and his arms fell from above his head.

Seeing a girl in a short skirt and tight shirt, he sighed. He knew that look. She was trying to get some guy to roll her on her back and have sex with her. Watching a man interact with her for a while, he pursed his lips, watching and listening without staring and being awkward of weird about it.

-

After studying couples for most of the day, he figured it was time to return the hotel. He was hot, tired, thirsty, and could sure use a drink. Trudging back to the hotel, he had a few ideas of what to say and how to act, he wasn't sure if this would work. Karin was an angry woman. She was loud and obnoxious. Nothing like the hot little honey's he'd been watching that day.

As he walked through the doors of the hotel, he went upstairs; the two flights seemed like 1000 miles. Going to Karin's room, he put his hand in his pockets, realizing he didn't have a key to her room. Ugh! His water bottles where in this room.

He knocked softly. "Karin…" He muttered. "Please let me in. I'll leave I just want my water."

There was a long pause.

"Karin?" He repeated, resting his head against the door. He didn't want to slide under the door again unless he had to. That would be insensitive, right? Something like that?

He sighed, knocking once again.

"You're out here?" Someone opened the door to the room beside hers. "I sorta figured you were with her. The noise from that room all day."

Suigetsu turned to look at the shirtless younger boy. He had to be around thirteen or fourteen. "What do you mean?"

The younger boy shrugged, moving a hand tiredly through his shaggy brown hair. "All day, she's been screaming and making a lot of noise. I sorta figured that you were with her. Or that black haired dude that was in the room a few nights ago." He yawned.

Suigetsu's eyes widened. Was she crying and throwing a fit? He nodded. "Thanks kid."

The boy snorted. He muttered something about not being a kid, then went into the room closing the door.

Suigetsu's entire body turned to water; he fell to the floor in a large puddle, slipped under the door, his vision and everything disappearing. Coming back to his own form, his vision and all other senses returned. The room was a mess, which didn't surprise him. He'd seen Karin destroy things when she was angry.

Then he realized how warm it was in the room. Even hotter than outside, but how? Looking at the thermostat, he saw it was up to 85 degrees, and the air conditioner wasn't in the window, it was broken on the floor.

Ok, that worried him.

Looking at the window, it was broken, the glass all over the floor. Turning to look around him, the door was broken. Going outside, the lock was broken, it would easily open. He felt his heart started to pound in his chest. Darting back to the room, the door closed, and he pulled the sheets off the bed.

Blood.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

He could hear his heart being in his ears. "Karin!" he moved through the room. Almost all the glass in the room had been broken; blood was on the floor, walls, and all over the bed. Why was he this worried?

How would he get his sword now!?

While he looked over the room, he found a note on the bed. It had Karin's blood on it, or what he could assume was hers. Pulling it open, he bit his lip hard, feeling blood drip down his chin. It had a simple sentence written in blood.

_507 Kouu Tani before 6 pm or she dies. _

His chest was starting to hurt a lot, the beating of his heart like this was something he'd never felt before. He was worried, and knowing that she might die worried him. It would in a way be his fault. Kind of, in its own special way?

Looking at the clock, he felt his heart drop. He had five minutes to get there, and had no idea where this was, or if it was nearby. Running out of the room, he knocked on the door beside it where he'd talked to the boy he had before. It was in the village and was a small clutch of houses on the edge of town. It took about ten minutes to get there.

Running out of the hotel, he ran as fast as he could towards where he had been told. Seeing the numbers start at around 480 and rise, it was clear they had been abandoned for a while. Breaking down the door, of house 507 and then ran in. Looking around, he wondered if now a good time to panic, his eyes darted around, trying to see something, anything that would tell him where Karin was.

His heart was still pounding and it wasn't until now that he realized something gravely important.

He had no weapon.


	2. Running, Finding, and Agreeing

Unexpected Miracles

**Chapter 2**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto or any of its characters. However, the plot of the story is mine.

**A/N: ** The more reviews I get – the faster I update. This one has been finished except for the last page, and I just had so much homework that I forgot about it. xD! I hope to write the net one soon! I have some notes and other reading for all of my classes, but… this is a much more fun distraction. I just watched Sorority Row, and Ellie reminds me of Karin, so yeah….

_Last Chapter Recap_

_Running out of the hotel, he ran as fast as he could towards where he had been told. Seeing the numbers start at around 480 and rise, it was clear they had been abandoned for a while. Breaking down the door, of house 507 and then ran in. Looking around, he wondered if now a good time to panic, his eyes darted around, trying to see something, anything that would tell him where Karin was._

_His heart was still pounding and it wasn't until now that he realized something gravely important. _

_He had no weapon. _

_End Chap One_

_-_

Men and their egos and their need to always be the best… They were selfish, irritating, manipulative, and at times not worth the air it took to keep them moving. All of them. It was like was like they were all out to hurt the woman around them, use them build up their hopes, save them, and then rip it all out from under them, tearing their body and hopes into small bite sized pieces in the nearest ditch to be eaten by wild animals.

Words couldn't do well to describe how Karin felt the moment Sasuke left.

The look on his face and the view of his back when he walked off, he didn't say anything, wave, or make any indication that he saw her or Juugo. They were just part of a scene he was leaving behind. His past, something that was going to stay behind him without a second glance or acknowledged happened or was even there. They meant as much to him as the clothing he'd left torn and disguard after the battle.

It was the only thing he'd left, and one of the first things that went up in flames.

Orochimaru's death didn't weigh on Karin this heavily, so matter how loyal she was to him, there was always something about him that kept her from being like Kabuto. She had the upmost dedication for him after what he did for her, and would do anything he asked, without question. The news of Sasuke killing him was no surprise.

All of those in Orochimaru's 'circle' knew that it would be one of them.

Sasuke won.

Sasuke won. That made Karin madder to think of. He did win. He got everything he ever wanted. He succeeded in killing his brother, only to find out an ugly truth of his village. Then plans changed to kill the elders, and now, look where it got him.

Honor.

They accepted back into his village with open arms, his former genin team, walking beside him, happy, almost celebrating.

Abandonment was the least of the things Karin felt moving through her system.

The pain she was starting to feel after the shock was over mounted, and became completely unbearable when she felt a presence in the room. Ugh, that smell.

She could feel Suigetsu in the room, first small and bearable, but the longer he was there, the more the odor bothered her. She felt so unattached to herself, the way she just let things around her happen, sickened her.

Waking up the next morning, the smell of his chakra was over whelming, but she was used to its presence, even if it wasn't this close. Sitting up, she forced herself from the bed, venturing into the bathroom, removing the cloths she had on.

The water was only hot, and was painful when it hit her skin, and all she could do was stand in it intentionally. Ridding all of Sasuke from her body was so much harder than she though, and the only way to finish the job was remove the mark he'd left on her skin.

Burning something that had a trace of his chakra on the mark would cause all of the ones she'd gotten up to that point fade. She no longer worked for Orochimaru, and hanging onto a power he'd given her wasn't productive and would only hurt her.

The mark Sasuke had left was a claim to her, and she had to get rid of it. Just it being there was burning into her chest and causing enough pain to her body to immobilize her, in her mind if nothing else.

The water burned her skin, even though she knew it was painful, she couldn't feel it. All she felt was the tears stream silently down her face, keeping up with the flow of the water. Leaning against the white tiled shower, her skin slowly began to match the color of her hair, the white parts around her eyes changing to pink.

When she finally turned the water off, she sat on the side of the tub, water dripping down her body, dripping onto the floor, her chakra moving around her body, her skin slowly filling in the spaces that were indented, etched, and scared into her flesh.

Upon standing, she looked at the full body mirror on the wall across from her and saw her naked body, completely normal. No marks, no bites, just her own smooth flawless skin. Grabbing a bottle of shampoo, she threw it into the mirror, which caused it to break the mirror, but the glass just cracked. It remained in the frame, and her body began to shake, and she felt like all the crying she did just opened a door rather than sealed one.

Grabbing a towel, the realization her clothes were in the other room with Suigetsu barely registered, and she forced herself to go into the room. Getting her clothing, she saw his face, but didn't feel anything, just drifted back into the room and changed, then returned, laid down and curled up in the bed.

Her body was so numb, why did she feel this way? Why was it like nothing around her was really there? She felt as if she was in a coma, and things were just passing by around her. Her eyes were open, and she could see, but she had no way to interact with her environment. Suigetsu moved, she heard his voice, she saw his chakra move around the room even with her eyes closed.

There was a heavy empty feeling and it made her eyes water and a pain shoot through her, and hearing Suigetsu eating made her roll over. Had she slept? She wasn't sure, but her eyes hurt, but without her glasses, she could only see a blurry, almost water color painting outline of his body.

Blotches of color and the sound of his voice saying something about food, was that what he was saying to her? As if on auto pilot, her voice responded with something she didn't quite understand, and his chakra moved. He was beside her, and then suddenly, she lashed out at him, needing to take her anger and frustration out on something.

He froze and she saw an undetermined look on his face and then, the door made a sound and he walked down the hall, to his room and left. As he left, the empty feeling returned. He'd done the same as Sasuke had, and now that she was alone again, she didn't expect to see him again. Not that she blamed him.

What had she said to him?

Everything that happened since Sasuke left was a blur, and even without her glasses, the distorted look of his face so near hers made her heart burn. It's not like it was her fault.

Was it?

Her eyes closed, not wanting to be in the environment around her. Maybe if she went to sleep and woke up, everything would be ok, Sasuke would still be there, and she could fight with Suigetsu. They could leave and continue their mission to do something else. He'd care about her and his Konoha mannerisms would eventually allow him to care for her and revive his clan.

Bitch.

The smile of that woman was haunting her, and even in her dreams, everything moved around her. She had no control of her environment, which she'd fought to keep stable all her life. Not only did she want it, but she got off on it.

Karin had always been in power, and did anything to have it. Egotistical wasn't the best definition because she was good at what she did. Her confidence wasn't unfounded. She did have skill and power to back up her confidence and ego – even if it wasn't a fighting ability.

Control of everything around her was fading, and something was around her, a sharp pain went through her side. Screaming, she felt her body shake and then sat up, panting hard. Light was in the room, but she wasn't alone in it.

A dirty chakra which flowed in a choppy manner suggested the person who owned it was impulsive, undecided, and more often than not made a lot of mistakes because of. She knew this chakra, but from where?

_Bitch…_

Who said that?

Something made contact with her face, and she slid backwards, her vision hazed. Attempting to move to grab her glasses, something grabbed her arms at the elbow, pulled her over and slammed her hard into the bed, holding her body there. It was over her, a breath that smelled like death on her face.

A look of disgust must have crossed her face, because she felt a hand on it.

What was happening around her?

Something touched her inner thigh, and when she entered fight or flight mode, her legs regained their ability to move, she kneed the person above her. They fell off and she moved away, grabbing her glasses and put them on. Turning to face the person in the room, just I time for him to slam her into the wall, and a sharp pain shot through her back.

She made a sound and he laughed, punched her, and pulled the long well kept side of her hair.

Looking up at him, her eyes suddenly widened behind her glasses. "Y-you…" She muttered, finally remembering his face, and his chakra. He'd been one of Orochimarus—

Her thought ended when something heavy made contract with her face, knocking her glasses down her nose.

Her eyes closed, a pain flooding through her body, something was dripping down her skin, sliding like water in an irritating and itchy manner.

Blood.

The smell was distant. It was her blood.

Her fist made contact with something, and she felt something crack. Moving away, she realized that she was fighting, something which she never did too well with. Yes, she had the ability, but up against this man, she wouldn't last long. The longer he fought, the more chakra he got, and it seemed he was doing this just to gain enough to kill her.

Jumping over the bed, her vision suddenly seemed to feel clearly, and the pain returned. The numb feeling was leaving her body, and she was starting to feel human again.

The fight was so hard. She was already tired, and this wasn't helping. Lashing out, she punched him, and felt his hands on her arm. Fighting against him was getting harder and harder, not only was her body tired, but she was mentally and emotionally exhausted.

It sounded pathetic, but Karin was never the fighting type, she never did well with it. She had abilities to mask, control, and track chakra, not to use it in battle. The only chance she had was an attack that would literally take everything out of her, struggling, her body beginning to tremble. All her chakra shifted through her system to her arm, where her fist made contact with his face.

The impact should have shattered his skull on impact, and as blood began to pour down his face. It was heavy and flowed down his skin and the raggedy hair on his chin and parts of his neck.

"Bitch!" The only one of his words that translated in her mind as her vision slowly started to decrease. All her chakra went into that one attack and without the ability to see straight, the probability of getting away was minimal now.

If only the attack had killed him. Stumbling, and losing her footing, Karin fell backwards onto her side, it hit something hard, and a pain ripped through her body. Feeling something grab her wrist, her vision hazed out, something sharp and thin slid across her fingers, and something warm oozed from the wounds. Unaware what her fingers touched and why the texture felt so familiar, her eyes closed and body began to drift out of the world and all sound, and surroundings vanished.

-

A chilling feeling went up Suigetsu's spine when he realized that he had no weapon. Sure, he could fight without one, and was more than capable of such a thing, but against an unknown amount of people, with a hostage? That would be difficult, not that he'd ever admit it.

The broken door surely made enough noise to draw attention, and calling out was a fools game should they have been looking for someone in particular. Water was all over the floor and dripped in the areas, creating patches of mold.

Suigetsu could only assume that something similar to a flood or heavy rains did this, and the heavy humidity made it unable to evaporate in a setting like this. Mold was growing, and water damage was just what he needed.

Collapsing into nothing more than a puddle of muddy water, his entire body reverted to its most primitive form, but from the shadows his head remained whole, keeping his senses intact.

Hearing a number of men run downstairs, he focused his attention. He'd seen them, somewhere before… His eyes narrowed trying to figure it out as they swarmed around the broken door. Within seconds Suigetsu's body reformed to its humanoid state, launched forward, and ripped apart two of the men, their bodies falling to the floor.

Moving his hand quickly, their blood moved from their fallen bodies and pinned a third to the wall, and his arm filled with water growing to nearly five times its original size, slamming the fourth man to the wall, holding his throat, seeing the building crack behind and around him.

"Y-You…" he managed to choke out, grabbing Suigetsu's huge arm. "W-why would you…" He coughed out, having a hard time speaking clearly.

Bearing his teeth aggressively, Suigetsu loosened his grip enough for the man to speak. "Why would I, what?" he asked darkly.

"Protect that bitch…" He managed to choke out, one eye closed, looking at Suigetsu pained. "You let us go, set us free from the Guardian of the Iron Wall, then why would you protect her?"

Suigetsu blinked a few times, arching an eyebrow, dropping him, recognizing him finally. He was one of the prisoners that he freed when he went to the southern prison to get Karin. Kicking the man at his feet, his arm slowly began to reduce in size to normal proportion.

These men were all prisoners he had let go, so, they were doing this for revenge?

Sighing, Suigetsu sat down, turning his head to look upstairs. "Bring her to me." He said leaning forward, his elbows on his knees. "I was working on breaking her down."

A sick smile crossed his face, his sharp teeth shone in the dull sunlight; it was dark and muggy in the room, but even that didn't hide the glow of his teeth.

They nodded and the wounded one left, holding his arm, his wounds healing almost as fast as they appeared. Apparently his experimentation included rapid healing. Coming back downstairs, he dropped the woman harshly on the ground at Suigetsu's feet.

Red was spread all of her body, both much redder than her hair.

Suigetsu's eyes narrowed slightly, showing a displeased look on his face. Pulling her over to him, his hand touched her neck, feeling her pulse. Well, at least she was alive. Picking her up into his arms, he studied her face, not wanting to believe that he was holding her in such an intimate fashion. As much as he wanted to deny it to himself, when a man carried a woman this way, it meant he cared for her, and whereas his feelings for Karin were minimal, only wanting to use her abilities, he didn't enjoy holding her this way.

The gesture didn't go unnoticed to the other men around them, and they studied the expression on his face and the careful way which he held her with. They stared, and as his purple hues rose, Suigetsu smiled threateningly.

"Orochimaru has ways of conforming others to do as he wished." He shifted Karin's weight slightly in his arms. "Karin was no exception to his skills of twisting the young and weak minded. Girls listen much better and easier than boys." He turned his back to leave, almost challenging one of them to attack her.

Without knowing how Karin began to follow Orochimaru, he did know that no one who followed him had parents; he sought out orphans and survives of battles and wars to do his bidding. If valuable or easily manipulated, he took them, and as in Karin's case, she listened, was intelligent, and had skills in which no one else possessed.

Moving towards him, they stopped, as if debating attacking someone as strong as Suigetsu, and even with her in his arms, would they stand a chance? He appeared with Uchiha Sasuke and where freed under his orders.

Now, he may not be as strong as Sasuke, but why would someone like Sasuke appear with a weak or low class worthless shinobi? It had been displayed by reputation and rumors that Suigetsu, apprentice to the seven swordsmen was powerful, and so was a confrontation worth the risk? After what he'd already displayed in abilities to increase his size and strength?

No.

"What is she?" The one who attacked her called out.

Suigetsu turned around, knowing he's the one who hurt her from the blood on his clothing.

"To you…" He finished, seeing Suigetsu's eyes make a bitter contact with his own. It made his blood run cold.

Suigetsu smirked, and a chuckle escaped his throat. "I need her to find someone." He said simply, shrugging his shoulders. "After that, I could care less what you do with her." Walking out towards the door, he sighed, looking down at her body.

Taking the risk, he turned his head to the side. "Are you able to heal others rather than just yourself?" he questioned one of the males, a threatening look crossing his face. "If you can heal her, I'll make it worth your wild."

Exchanging glances, the blonde-ish haired man nodded.

The other sighed. "Yeah, I can." Walking over, he moved his hand to her body and let chakra flow from his body, and instantly, all of wounds that lined her body reduced in size and depth, then slowly but surely, vanished.

Looking up, Suigetsu put Karin down and looked at these two males. He was nothing like Sasuke, and wasn't good at meaning something beneficial. That promise was in his interest, not theirs. Moving forward, he punched a hole through the man's body, his blood freezing and stabbing into his own heart, leaving nothing to pump and nothing to heal.

The blonde ran at him, and Suigetsu punched him in the head, which due to the bandage he could only assume had been an injury form Karin. As expected when the impact occurred, his skull exploded and he fell to the ground, twitching.

Hearing movement, he bent down in front of Karin, his arms resting on his knees. "You owe me." His smile returned, teeth showing happily though his lips. With the door broken they were both in a cast of the setting sunlight. Its rays captured his hair, lighting the silvery blue wisps as a cool wind blew by.

Her hand rested on her head, and as her eyes opened, a red fired burned inside them. It seemed Karin was back to her normal self. He was ready for her to punch him, and however angry she seemed, punching him would do her a great disservice.

As out of her mind as she was, it seemed she still realized that he saved her life and should be rewarded for such a thing, not to cause his face to splash all over the floor of this moldy and disgusting room.

Biting her lip, he caught how hard she was fighting to keep this inside her. "What do you want?" Her eyes were at the floor and wall to the left of them, which she seemed to be studying.

Leaning out towards the body of the leader of men, he pulled something out of the pocket in his shirt. Smirking, he handed them out towards Karin.

The movement got her attention, and knowing that he wouldn't hand her anything else, by his chakra patterns, she could tell it was his hand. Snatching the object from him, she slid her glasses on, pleased to note that they weren't broken and Suigetsu's game of kill and go didn't cost her.

"Glad you asked." Standing up, he grabbed her arm, pulling her to her feet roughly, not bothering to let her steady herself or anything of the story. A grin spread across his face happily, and a closed eye smile crossed his masculine features.

"My blade." The answer was simple, but he knew she understood his need.

Looking up at him, her eyes locked with his, studying and accessing hs request, and in the end, sighed, nodded and leaned against the wall. "I need her cloths."

Not only where they covered I blood and dirty, but they'd been ripped and tattered from the fight she put up and other physical brutalities which she'd collected since this started. Her face had been bruised along with other parts of her body, making it seem like they ganged up on her while she was passed out and beat her up gang style - with her on the ground, the men surrounding, kicking and punching her harshly.

Healed though, she seemed flame tempered as ever, but thinking over her choices, nodded, and gave in.

"Fine… You get me cloths; I'll track your blade."

He snorted a laugh as they walked out, him starting to sip from his water bottle. As scared as he had been, he'd managed to grab one of them while darting out the door. He needed water to fight, that much he knew since the day he was born.

Leaving the area, he glanced towards her as he finished drinking his water. "So, you trust me to get cloths for you? Just go naked, it'll either kill me from shock or make you easier to look at."

Needless to say, she punched him, but this time avoided his face. The water-man seemed pleased by this, glad to have her back to her normal, violent self.

Inside he was thanking the god everyone bragged about for this. Even though she got hurt, she also got healed, which made it so he didn't have to care for her, tend to her, or pretend to care about her feelings, her problems, and her crying. This made it easier all around for her not just for him.

"Asshole." Karin muttered, her red eyes piercing through him. They walked closer together than they ever had before, but both knew better than to say anything about it. Karin was worried that her legs would give out and she'd fall.

Her shirt was ripped and tattered, covered in blood. It had barely any function at this point, she was dirty, and it was plain from the look in her eyes that she was exhausted. Suigetsu made it a point to not start a fight with her now. Her legs were visible for the most part anyway, but now, the shorts she normally wore had either been removed or destroyed in the fight between them. She had nice legs – of that he was sure. He smiled, his teeth coming from his set lips.

The long red locks that trailed down her back unevenly seemed to lay straighter. She was dirty, bloody; her skin had been cold when he held her. The sun reflected off her face as they went outside. Her eyes narrowed, pupils adjusting to the light. Sighing, the sun glistened a few more times as it lowered past the horizon, beginning to leave the duo in darkness.

"I hate him…"

For the first time, Suigetsu felt his mouth drop slightly. His lips remained parted, his widened eyes turned to face her in disbelief. Did she mean by…?

He was less than a foot from her, his eyes narrowed, and a confused look crossed his features, and he scrunched his nose slightly in annoyance. "What's that—" is voice was loud and somewhat harsh.

"Sasuke." She answered softly, almost too soft for Suigetsu to hear her. She closed her eyes, a breeze blowing over to them, moving her ripped cloths and hair. It was strong enough to lift her hair completely from her shoulders; the cooling temperature caused Goosebumps to rise against her skin.

He stared at her, and then shook his head. "You don't have to lie to me."

"If it was a lie…" She looked over at him, her eyes watery and shiny. She wanted to cry. "I would be trying to convince you, Suigetsu."

The two of them looked at one another, another breeze going by. She turned her head suddenly, a breath escaping her lips, her nose moved slightly, and her eyes slowly open.

"Your precious sword is southwest from here. Whoever has it isn't alone." Moving over to him, she couldn't help but walk slower. The ground around here was rocky, broken, and she was sure there was glass on it – without shoes, that'd be bad for her, especially if she was cut.

There was a silence for what seemed like hours, all the while his eyes locked with hers. Something seemed to bothering him, he scrunched his nose and made a face at her, but she didn't look away. It wasn't a contest or a competition, but something about it just made the two look at the other.

She'd been standing in front of him for what felt like forever when his hand moved from his side, he stepped towards her, and touched her face, touching her cheek. Her eyes looked down at his hand, finally breaking the stare with his eyes, but could feel his stare still on her. They were closer than before evident by the fact she could feel and hear his breathing. The scent of his chakra was strong, and it didn't make her as angry as it did before. It was… almost comforting after all that had happened.

As his hand moved away; a wet red substance coated his fingers. "You need to change and clean up before we go. Its cooler tonight, we should leave in case it'll be hot tomorrow."

"Sounds good to me."


End file.
